If you’ve walked through Times Square recently, you might have noticed someone new. She isn't a costumed Elmo or a tourist staring at the digital billboards. She’s twelve feet tall, cast in bronze, and stands with her hands on her hips at the intersection of Broadway and 46th Street.
Her name is Grounded in the Stars.
Honestly, she’s hard to miss. Created by British artist Thomas J. Price, this NYC Black woman statue has become a lightning rod for conversation since its unveiling in late April 2025. While some people see a long-overdue monumentalization of everyday humanity, others are... well, they’re pretty upset.
What is Grounded in the Stars?
It’s not a statue of a celebrity. It’s not a historical figure like Shirley Chisholm or Harriet Tubman. Instead, it’s a depiction of an anonymous, "everyday" Black woman. She’s wearing casual clothes—sneakers and leggings—with her hair styled in braids.
Her posture is what gets most people. She stands in a way that many have compared to Michelangelo’s David. It’s a pose of quiet confidence, or as the internet has dubbed it, being "unbothered."
Thomas J. Price didn't just stumble into this. This piece is part of his larger "Resilience of Scale" series. His goal? To disrupt the traditional idea of what a "triumphant" figure looks like. For centuries, statues in public squares have been reserved for "Great Men"—generals, politicians, and colonizers. By putting an ordinary Black woman on a pedestal in one of the most-visited spots on Earth, Price is basically asking: Who do we decide is worth remembering?
The High Line Connection: Remembering Brick House
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time a massive bronze woman has taken over Manhattan. Back in 2019, Simone Leigh’s Brick House sat on the High Line. That statue was even bigger—16 feet tall—and featured a Black woman’s bust emerging from a structure that looked like a house.
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Brick House was a massive success, but it felt more symbolic, more abstract. Grounded in the Stars feels different. Because she looks like someone you might pass on the subway, the reaction has been much more personal.
Why is everyone so mad (or so happy)?
The internet is doing what the internet does best: arguing.
On one side, you have people who feel seen. For them, seeing a woman who looks like their sister, their mother, or themselves rendered in monumental bronze is a powerful moment of representation. It’s art that says, "Your existence is enough to be celebrated."
On the other side, there’s a surprisingly vocal group of critics. Some of the backlash is, predictably, from the "aesthetic conservative" crowd. You know the types—they post memes comparing modern art to 19th-century statues of Hercules, demanding we "Make Statues Great Again."
But there’s also a more nuanced critique coming from within the Black community. Some feel the statue doesn't represent Black American women specifically, noting that the artist is British. Others find the "everyday" attire too casual for a permanent monument, arguing that Black women are already "casualized" or ignored, and they’d rather see a statue that exudes more traditional "royalty" or historical achievement.
One viral comment on Instagram basically said: We come in all shapes and sizes, and you have her looking angry and plainly dressed. Is she angry? Or is she just thinking? That’s the thing about art—it’s a mirror.
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The Statue Deficit in New York City
To understand why people care so much, you have to look at the numbers. NYC has hundreds of statues. Want to guess how many are of historical women? Before the She Built NYC initiative started a few years ago, you could count them on one hand.
The city has been trying to fix this. We’ve got the Shirley Chisholm monument coming to Prospect Park—a project led by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous. We’ve seen projects for Billie Holiday and Elizabeth Jennings Graham move through the pipeline.
But Grounded in the Stars isn't waiting for a committee to vote on which historical figure is "worthy" enough. She’s there now.
Where to see it (and what else is around)
If you want to see the NYC Black woman statue for yourself, you have until June 17, 2025. She’s located right in the heart of the Times Square "Bowtie."
While you're in the area, you can also check out:
- Resilience of Scale: Price has a concurrent exhibition at Hauser & Wirth in SoHo. It features five more towering bronze figures, including a woman checking her phone.
- Midnight Moment: Every night in May 2025, the digital screens in Times Square sync up at 11:57 PM to show Price's Man Series, an animation of sculpted male heads.
- The Whitney: If you want more Black representation in art, Amy Sherald’s American Sublime exhibition has been the talk of the town recently.
Why this actually matters
Public art isn't just decoration. It’s a statement of values. When we walk past a statue every day, our brains internalize who is "important."
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Price’s work challenges the idea that you have to do something "historic" to be monumental. It suggests that just existing, surviving, and standing your ground is a feat of its own. Whether you think she’s "too casual" or "perfectly human," the fact that a statue is making people talk this much proves it’s doing its job.
Art should make us uncomfortable. It should make us ask why we feel the way we do.
What you should do next
Don't just take a side based on a tweet. If you're in New York, go stand at the base of the statue. Look up. Notice how people interact with her.
Some people walk right past without looking. Others stop and take a selfie. Some just stand there for a minute, mirroring her pose.
Actionable ways to engage:
- Visit before June 17, 2025: Public installations like this are temporary. Catch it at Broadway and 46th.
- Compare the styles: Head down to SoHo to see Price's other works. Notice the difference between the "everyday" figures and the classical statues you see in places like Central Park.
- Support local monuments: Follow the progress of the She Built NYC statues. The Shirley Chisholm monument in Brooklyn is a major milestone for representation that’s been years in the making.
New York is constantly changing. This statue is just the latest chapter in a very long, very loud conversation about who gets to own the space in our city.
Go see her. Decide for yourself if she’s "unbothered" or if she’s actually telling us something we aren't ready to hear yet.